Daily Step – What is bringing you hope this week?

My twins came into my “classroom” where I was working on something yesterday and said “Mommy, we have something for you!” as they held up their creations proudly. Using some random plastic toy parts they found in the playroom, they had made me flowers. “Mom it’s more beautiful when I spin mine,” one twin said and we stared together at the expanding petals as it turned round and round.

It was a simple gesture but at that moment of my day it was just the sign of hope I needed.

This is a time of going somewhat blindly in life. We are working with a lot of unknowns and often confusing information. And it’s easy to question every decision you make as well as feel a great deal of uncertainty about what the future holds.

And, if we aren’t careful, it is easy to lose hope.

But then a child comes and builds you a plastic flower. And it can be all you need to be reminded that hope is indeed all around.

I started reading a book called On Hope yesterday for a book club with my colleagues. In it, Pope Francis reminds us of this:

“Life is often a desert; it is difficult to walk in life, but if we trust in God it can become beautiful and wide as a highway. Never lose hope, continue to believe, always, in spite of everything. When we are before a child, although we have many problems and many difficulties, a smile comes to us from within, because we see hope in front of us: a child is hope. And in this way, we must be able to discern in life the way of hope which leads us to find God, God who became a child for us. He will make us smile; he will give us everything.”

God will make us smile, God will give us everything.

Let something move you today to smile deep within and take you from the desert to the big, beautiful highway God intends for your life.

And then reach out and share it with others.

What brings you hope today?

Let me know over @gdcrowder on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter or through email. Would love to hear your signs of hope!